The present invention is generally directed to roof water dispersal systems such as those generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,616 entitled “Roof Water Run-Off Dispersal” issued on Feb. 24, 1976 to Richard L. Schapker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,488 entitled “Rain Disperser System” issued to Lawrence C. Burns on Mar. 3, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,195 entitled “Roof Water Dispersal System” issued on Nov. 16, 1993 to Erwine T. Buckenmaier and Richard J. Urban; U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,196 entitled “Roof Water Dispersal System” issued on Nov. 16, 1993 to Erwine T. Buckenmaier and Richard J. Urban; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,611 entitled “Roof Water Dispersal System” issued on Dec. 3, 1996 to Erwine T. Buckenmaier and Richard J. Urban.
The disclosures of the aforementioned 5 United States patents are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The roof water dispersal systems disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 include dispersal units formed from a plurality of longitudinally extending dispersal elements or slats which are oriented to extend laterally in a direction substantially parallel to the drip edge of a roof structure. The roof water dispersal assemblies include one or more transverse cross members which intersect and support the lateral slats from below (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195 and 5,261,196) or from above (U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,611) at a substantially perpendicular orientation for maintaining a predetermined angular orientation and spacing between the individual lateral slats. The assembled disperser unit is mounted either to the roof structure itself or to a vertical wall of a building structure such that the plurality of laterally extending parallel slats are positioned relative to the drip edge of the roof to receive, to deflect, and to disperse streams of run-off water flowing downwardly from the roof. The primary purpose of the roof water dispersal systems disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 is to replace conventional roof gutters, which require continuous maintenance to remove leaves and other debris which accumulate in the channels, and which divert run-off water into relatively large streams which impact against the same area or areas of the underlying terrain resulting in damage and erosive effect. On the contrary, the roof water dispersal systems disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 disperse the streams of roof run-off water into smaller droplets or mist which are dispersed or distributed over a wide range of terrain extending below the entire roof edge, thereby avoiding damage and corrosive effect on the underlying terrain which otherwise would result from the impact of high velocity streams of unimpeded run-off water continuously impacting against the same localized areas beneath the roof edge. Additionally, the roof water dispersal systems in accordance with the three aforementioned patents do not have any channels of the type included in conventional rain gutters, and therefore do not require maintenance to remove leaves and other debris which accumulate in the channels of conventional rain gutters.
The advantages of the roof water dispersal systems of the aforementioned patents, as compared to conventional roof gutters, are extensively discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611, to which further reference is invited.
The roof water dispersal systems disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 are fixedly mounted relative to the drip edge of a roof. Accordingly, the vertical distance between the drip edge of the roof and the lateral slats or dispersal elements is fixed and non-adjustable. Additionally, the angle of the dispersal unit relative to the mounting surface is fixed and non-adjustable.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a roof water dispersal system, of the type disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611, in which the vertical distance between the dispersal elements or slats and the drip edge of the roof is selectively adjustable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roof water dispersal system of the type disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 in which the angle of the roof water dispersal unit relative to the mounting surface is selectively adjustable so as to be upwardly movable into a retracted storage position.
Although conventional roof gutters are known to be rotatable, such roof gutters are rotatable only in a downwardly direction relative to the mounting surface for the primary purpose of facilitating the cleaning of the roof gutters to remove leaves and other debris accumulated in the channels. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,460 which provides means for tilting a gutter in a downward direction for the purpose of cleaning the gutter. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,190 which also discloses a system for tilting the channel of a roof gutter in a downward direction for the purpose of both removing debris from the gutter and for moving the downwardly directed roof gutter into a position beneath the overhang of a roof for storage and winter protection. These prior art references are designed to tilt the gutter only in a downward direction to enable gravitational forces to assist in the removal of debris from the channels. However, the references fail to suggest movement of a roof water dispersal system of the type disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611, which do not require cleaning of debris from channels of gutters because such units eliminate channels or gutters. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,335,460 and 4,813,190 also fail to suggest roof water dispersal systems of the type disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611 in which the vertical distance between the dispersal elements or slats and the drip edge of a roof is adjustable, or the advantages resulting therefrom, as will be more fully discussed herein.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,388,555; 4,032,456; 7,155,864; and 7,905,061 generally illustrate known gutters or other roof water dispersal systems different from the type of roof water dispersal systems disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,195; 5,261,196; and 5,579,611.